Fox News "Your World" - Transcript

Interview

FOX NEWS CHANNEL "YOUR WORLD" INTERVIEW WITH REP. JOHN SULLIVAN (R-OK) INTERVIEWER: ALEXIS GLICK
SUBJECT: STIMULUS PACKAGE AND UNION WORKERS' PREFERENTIAL TREATMENT

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MS. GLICK: Shovel-ready jobs or union-ready? Ahead of the stimulus bill, President Obama signing an order saying unions are preferred to win government contracts. My next guest is trying to pass a law changing that. Oklahoma Congressman John Sullivan joins me right now.

Congressman, good to see you. Before we get into this piece of legislation here, we're hearing reports right now that as many as 15 members of the Republican Party may vote on behalf of the stimulus at this late hour. Have you heard these reports?

REP. SULLIVAN: I haven't heard that, Alexis. And it would be surprising to me. I think the Republican caucus is staying strong, and I'd be surprised to hear that. We are going to have a meeting this afternoon, and I'll know then. And I am a member of the whip team, so I haven't heard anything about that so far.

MS. GLICK: Okay, good. Good clarification. All right, Congressman, let me ask you about all this question about whether or not these contracts for infrastructure buildings should be going to unions. What is the language? And what is it that you want to do about it?

REP. SULLIVAN: Well, it's just about fairness, you know. This is in response to Barack Obama's executive order. You know, 85 percent of the workforce that can do construction in America aren't union workers, and they don't have an opportunity to get these jobs. And isn't this about jobs and our economy right now? It's not responsible. We want to make sure that these contracts are awarded on people on their ability to do the work in a quality way, in a timely fashion and an efficient way, not on their union membership.

MS. GLICK: Okay, let me ask you this. We spoke here on the show yesterday to Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood. We asked him this very question about who is going to get the contracts and why. And he said it's going to be a fair and open process for anybody to participate, anybody to bid. He had 43 Transportation secretaries from across the country come visit him with shovel-ready projects. Are we sure that this is actually being, I don't know, unfair to some and fair to others?

REP. SULLIVAN: I think it would be fair if Barack Obama hadn't signed that executive order. We want to make sure that the people that do the best job should be awarded these contracts. This is about fairness. This is something that's very important right now. Eighty- five percent of the people in America that can do these jobs aren't union workers, and they wouldn't qualify under this. It's not the right thing to do. We need to make sure that people aren't penalized that can get these very important jobs right now. People are suffering in America.

MS. GLICK: You plan to put together a bill. Where does it stand today? And do you think you'll get support?

REP. SULLIVAN: Well, it's going to be very difficult. It's going to be rough sledding in a Democrat-controlled Congress. President Obama did get a lot of contributions from labor. They're already talking about how they're going to get this passed. They've been talking for the last two months how they want to get this passed as one of their biggest things. And I think it will be very difficult. I think we'll probably see it go through.

MS. GLICK: Only about 15 seconds to go here. Tomorrow morning, as some suspect, you'll be voting on the bill. Which way are you going to go?

REP. SULLIVAN: I'm voting no. This is not good for America. It's not good for our country. We can't do this. People in my district are suffering right now, losing jobs. And this doesn't create jobs. This is only about 5 percent is for infrastructure, and this is growing government, 30 new government programs in this (bill ?).

MS. GLICK: Congressman Sullivan, I hate to do it. We're going to have to leave it there. Thanks so much for joining us.

REP. SULLIVAN: Thank you.

END.

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